A friction welding system, specifically an inertia or inertial welding system, utilizes friction between surfaces to be joined to produce heat that bonds a first workpiece and a second workpiece together. The two workpieces to be bonded are mounted on an inertial welding machine. In one type of system, the first workpiece is held stationary, while the second workpiece is rotated rapidly on a spindle attached to a fly wheel. When the fly wheel reaches a predetermined speed, the fly wheel is disengaged and pressure is applied to the first workpiece to urge the first workpiece against the second workpiece. Kinetic friction between the first workpiece and the second workpiece generates heat sufficient to form a bond between the first workpiece and the second workpiece.
The first workpiece may be urged against the second workpiece with pressure applied with hydraulic cylinders or similar arrangements. Operation of the inertial welding machine may result in vibration. This vibration can correlate to energy diverted from the bond of the first workpiece and the second workpiece. This vibration energy is diverted to other areas of the workpieces and tooling. The vibration energy can cause damage to the worpieces and tooling that can be identified by inspection after the weld process is complete. Such inspection adds complexity and cost to the process. The vibration can be reduced or eliminated by damping. However, systems and equipment for damping are expensive and are not fully reliable.
What is needed is a friction welding system and method that can prevent vibration while the first piece is forced against the second piece.